Oneida Cultural Heritage Department By: Dr. Carol Cornelius and Judith L. Jourdan Edit, Revision, and Layout: Tiffany Schultz (09/13) Saving Our Oneida Language INTRODUCTION • All Oneida nation governmental By: Dr. Carol Cornelius meetings to conduct the business of the The Oneida Language Revitalization people were in Oneida Program began in the spring of 1996 in 1600’s response to a national crisis, a state of • The arrival of the French, Dutch, and emergency, in which a survey indicated there English began to impact our economy were only 25-30 Elders left who had learned to and these European languages were speak Oneida as their first language. learned by a few Oneida people in When many of us were very young, we order to conduct trade. heard Oneida spoken all the time by our Elders. 1700’s We must ensure that our little ones now hear • 1709 – Queen Anne ordered that the and learn to speak Oneida. As a Nation we have Common Prayer Book be translated into an urgent need to produce speakers to continue the Mohawk language. This was done Oneida Language. by Eleazer Williams in 1800. As a result of the survey taken, a ten • 1750 – Samuel Kirkland began year plan was developed to connect Elders with missionary efforts which impacted our trainees in a semi-immersion process which language. Many Oneida supported the would produce speakers and teachers of the Americans in the American Revolution. Oneida language. The goal was to hear our 1820’s Oneida language spoken throughout our • Eleazor William’s land negotiations and community. missionary efforts resulted in the move It has been an intensive period of time to Wisconsin. since its inception and many things have • Hymn and sermons were in Mohawk transpired at Takal<atu (the Language House) and Oneida but the trainees have come a long was and are • Oneida people continued to speak now conducting language classes for the Oneida as their first language. community. 1880’s TO 1920’s • Oneida children attended boarding THE ONEIDA LANGUAGE TIMELINE schools where they were forbidden to speak Oneida BEFORE 1600 • Our ancestors continued to speak • Oneida was our first language Oneida in the schools, but kept it a • Our ancestors recited the Thanksgiving secret for their teachers Address to open and close all ceremonies • “Medicinal Plants Used by Oneida • The “10 Lessons in Conversational People in Wisconsin” was research and Oneida” (tape and booklet) were completed by Lee Olsen with Huron produced during this ear. They continue Smith, including the Oneida names for to be used to the present time as the f plants and medicines first introductory lessons in Oneida 1930’s language • The first efforts were made to write and • Many teaching booklets, tapes, and preserve the Oneida language through curriculum guides (K-6) were developed the WPS, Works Progress • Oneida language became part of the Administration (For more on the WPA, curriculum at Head Start and Day Care see page 5) • Working with Cliff Abbott at the 1940’s University of Wisconsin, Green bay, • The Common Prayer Book, earlier became a university level credit class translated into Mohawk by Eleazer • Learners could obtain teacher Williams, was translated into Oneida by certification through UWGB Oscar archiquette 1980’s • Our Elders kept Oneida language alive • Federal funding for language programs by continuing to speak the language, ended but the next generation did not learn to • The Oneida Tribal School (K-8) began speak Oneida as their first language. and included Oneida language as part of 1952 the daily curriculum • “Historical Changes in Kinship System of • Community members continued efforts the Oneida Indians”, a language study, to learn to speak Oneida by holding was written by H.W. Basehart, and language classes in their homes American anthropologist • Summer language camps were held for 1960’s children • Oscar Archiqutte taught classes at High • Amos Christjohn and Maria Hinton View School for everyone who wanted conducted classes for the community to learn • The University of Wisconsin at Green • The Oneida Hymn book was compiled Bay offered evening language classes and translated into Oneida by Oscar with Cliff Abbott Archiquette, Floyd Lounsbury, and • “Oneida and Great Lakes American Morris Swadesh Indian Uses of Plants for Food and 1970’s Medicine” by Janice Schreiber was • In the early 1970’s, the federally funded published by the Oneida Bilingual Wisconsin Native American Language Program Project began in Milwaukee. Elders 1990 included Maria Hinton, Lavinia Webster, • Efforts of revitalization of the Oneida and Emily Schwamp. language grew stronger • The “English-Oneida Lexicon” was 1994 published in July of 1975 • Oneida Nation High School began to • The Oneida Bilinggual Program began require four years of Oneida with federal funding and ran through language/culture for graduation 1985. (For more on the Oneida Bilingual • The Business Committee passed Program, see page 6) Resolution 1-12-94-A declaring Oneida the official language of the Oneida Nation • Resolution 5-18-94-G passed giving Inez Thomas support and encouragement to our Leanne Thompson culture and language • Others who have also participated in • The play “How Frog Lost His Teeth” was the Language Program as trainees are: presented by Summer School students Lavinia Acquirre in the Oneida language. Directed by Gail Laura Cornelius Danforth and Pam Bluebird Kenneth Brickman Metoxen • Classes taught by Elders and UWGB A Ten Year Language Immersion Plan continued in the community was developed by the group of trainees, 1995 teachers, Elders, and community • In 1995, the play, Corn Spirit, was members. (for more on the Ten year presented by 4th grade students. Some Immersion plan, see page 7) language and traditional songs were • A lifetime dream became a reality when used. Directed by Laura Cornelius, Larry the Oneida Dictionary was published by Cornelius, and Nicole Daniels Maria Hinton and Amos Christjohn • The Oneida teaching Grammar was • On August 15, the Oneida Language published by Cliff Abbott, UWGB House also known as Takal<atu, Linguist became a reality. The program began • The Thanksgiving Address tape and with eleven Oneida Elders who were booklet by Bob Brown was published transferred from the Oneida Tribal through the Oneida Nation Schools Schools as Elder Speakers/Translators. 1996 • They were: • A six week summer session on semi- Mary Danforth immersion language efforts brought Lydia Denny Elders, trainees, and teachers together Hudson Doxtator to learn immersion teaching techniques Melinda Doxtator in an effort to produce fluent speakers. Luella Elm 30-35 people attended the daily Mary Jourdan sessions. Leona Smith • Elders included the following: Helen Shenandore Amos Christjohn Margaret Summers Mary “Wali” Danforth Lavinia Webster Melinda Danforth Loretta Webster Hudson Doxtator • Two of the Elders were over 90 years Priscilla Manders old. Later that summer, five trainees Lloyd “Anoki” Schuyler were also transferred from the Tribal Leona Smith School. Lavinia Webster • Resolution 9-25-96-A passed declaring • Current Language Trainees are as those Oneida Elders who kept our follows: language alive as experts of the Oneida Richard Baird language and as a National Treasures. Dawn Cornelius The resolution stated our Elders “shall Randy Cornelius be accorded all respect due as the Vickie Cornelius primary custodians of the Oneida Mike King Language in this community.” Vera Stephanie Muskovitch Wilson joined the Language Curtiss Summers Revitalization Program staff. • Turtle’s War Party was recorded on 2003 video with Lloyd Schuyler narrating and • An Oneida Language Charter Team was Mary Lee Prescott illustrating. established. (for more on the Oneida • The first CD-ROM in the Oneida Language Charter Team, see page 7) language was developed using the 2004 Turtle’s War Party video with Lloyd • April 3, the Oneida Business Committee Schuyler narrating and illustrations by honored our Elders as “National Mary Lee Prescott. Treasures.” • The three Oneida communities: • April 14, the Oneida Language Charter Wisconsin, Thames/Canada, and New was officially completed and signed York began holding annual language • In April of 2004, Mary McDonald, Fluent meetings. They met twice a year and Speaking Language Facilitator, was took turns hosting. hired at Takal<atu. Leander Danforth 1997 was also hired as her assistant. • The WPA stories were published by Maria Hinton, Amos Christjohn, and WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION 1935- Anna John with illustrations by Mary 1942 Lee Prescott. Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal • An ANA Grant was awarded to establish cultural programs marked the U.S. an Oneida Language web page. government’s first big, direct investment in • A second CD-ROM on the Thanksgiving cultural development. The largest and most Address was produced with Bob Brown important of the new Deal cultural programs narrating. was the Works Progress Administration (WPA), • People continued to hold language a massive employment relief program launched classes in their homes. in the spring of 1935. • Bob Brown taught cultural language The WPA funded Oneida Language and classes at the Cannery every Folklore Project was headed by anthropologist Wednesday. and linguist, Floyd G. Lounsbury. It was • The Three Sisters tape and booklet, designed to teach Oneida people to write their originally produced in the 1970’s was language and to develop Oneida orthography. It reproduced on CD-ROM with Maria also helped to preserve tribal history and